Monument

Ducks

Assistant: That'll be £5, please.Me: I was wondering. You know you have some rubber ducks for sale?Assistant: Yes?Me: Well, I was wondering... why are rubber ducks always yellow? I mean, have you ever seen a yellow duck? Ducks are brown, or there are the ones with green heads, but I've never met a yellow one.Assistant: Hm. I've seen yellow ducks on the Thames.Me: Really? Kit, could we go and look at the Thames this afternoon?Kit: Maybe!Assistant: Yes-- fluffy yellow ones. You know, the ducklings.Me: Wait! You're right! Baby ducks are yellow! I was thinking of the adults. So rubber ducks are supposed to be ducklings, even the big ones?Assistant: I think so, yes.Me: Thank you! You've solved a mystery for me. What a helpful person!

Sort of. But I assumed the original rubber ducks were small and yellow to model ducklings -- after all, ducklings are a lot cuter than ducks. And then rubber ducks being yellow just became the norm, and people would automatically choose yellow without thinking whether that was a realistic depiction of a duck or not.